This week’s CSA: 1 head green leaf lettuce, 6 ears of corn, 2 lbs tomatoes, 2 lbs onions, 2 lbs summer squash, 4 nectarines, 4 peaches, 1/2 lb mushrooms, 1 head of garlic, a dozen eggs, and bread (Parmesan sourdough). I actually requested that the CSA hold a loaf of Parmesan sourdough for me, because apparently Great Harvest only bakes it on Wednesdays, which explains why I haven’t been getting it since I began picking up on Thursdays. Guess I might have to stop by Great Harvest myself on Wednesday mornings if I want my fix.

If you look next to the carton of eggs, just above the mushrooms, that’s a packet of fresh herbs. One of the things I love most about picking up right at the farm is getting to pick your own herbs from the herb garden. There are rows upon rows of flourishing herbs, and I usually go straight for the basil and parsley. There’s also dill, cinnamon basil, oregano, lavender, thyme, borage, and more.

I love picking herbs on a sunny afternoon, brushing aside the bees and butterflies that are also enjoying the herb blossoms. I knew that basil flowered white, and cinnamon basil flowered purple, but I did not know about the lovely little purple thyme flowers or the big yellow dill blossoms. These are things you miss out on when buying herbs from the grocery store.

I buy potted herbs from the farmer’s market every spring, too, but apparently I can’t manage to keep plants alive. This is why I leave the growing of vegetables to other people.